Psychology

The human brain is wonderfully complex. If uncovering its secrets in order to understand and explain human behaviour sounds appealing, a career in psychology could be right for you. Completing a psychology qualification does not limit you to clinical and counselling roles – it can lead to dynamic work in marketing, journalism, human resources or policy development.

Studying psychology at Swinburne

A commitment to quality

Benefit from the highest-quality teaching and research standards. Swinburne’s Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre promotes research which aims to impact upon the wellbeing of individuals, groups and the community. The centre encompasses a range of professionals including psychologists, neuroscientists, cognitive specialists and statisticians.

A culture of learning

Our research in psychology was rated ‘above world standard’ in the Australian Government’s Excellence in Research for Australia 2012 report – awarded for our psychopharmacology and brain sciences research.

Swinburne conducts research into the use of neuroscientific technological advances, and clinical and psychosocial interventions.

I’ve been given some wonderful opportunities to work with academics whom I admire, and I have always felt as though I was part of a team of people committed to helping me bring out the best in myself. I can honestly say that I’ve taken away something useful from each subject and have been able to apply it to my work with clients.

Kerry

Master of Psychology (Counselling Psychology)

Access your career

Work one-on-one with clients as a clinical psychologist, assist police as a forensic psychologist or help athletes reach new heights of performance. Understanding what drives people and dissecting social interactions are just some of the areas you’ll explore with a psychology degree – skills that can be applied to dozens of different work paths.

Career opportunities include:

clinical psychologist

community worker

counselling psychologist

counsellor

criminologist

forensic psychologist

occupational health and safety officer

organisational psychologist

rehabilitation counsellor

social worker

sport psychologist

youth worker

Connect with industry

There’s nothing like hands-on experience to help you land a job. You can put your learning into practice through our Industry-Based Learning (IBL) program. Each year, one Swinburne psychology student has the chance to undertake an IBL placement at Melbourne’s prestigious Royal Children’s Hospital.

Focus on research

NEW HORIZONS FOR DEMENTIA SUFFERERS

Can virtual worlds help people suffering mid‑ to late-stage dementia? Mandy Salomon, a Swinburne PhD student and senior researcher at the Smart Services Co-operative Research Centre, thinks so. Learn about her work developing a pilot prototype of an interactive, tablet-based, 3D environment for people living with dementia.

Hands-on experience

SWINBURNE PSYCHOLOGY CLINIC

Swinburne Psychology Clinic is the largest university psychology clinic in Australia. The clinic allows students undertaking postgraduate studies in clinical or counselling psychology to gain valuable experience, training and clinical skills needed to work independently.